Must haves
These few tools will take your home-bar a long way.
Cobbler Shaker
A necessity for shaken drinks. I like the cobbler shaker best because it has a built-in strainer, and use this one.
Pour Spouts
Replace the lid of you syrup bottles with a pour spout: they’ll make measuring syrups infinitely easier. You can get them inexpensively here.
Angostura Bitters
You’re going to need bitters. Angostura are the most popular and can be used in many drinks. You can buy them online, or at most grocery stores for ~$12.
Citrus Press
If your cocktail calls for citrus juice, it’s essential that you press it fresh, and that’s a lot easier with a citrus press.
Coupes
Any drink served in a cocktail glass can be served in a coupe. These ones are nice, but I also like to thrift my glasses because I love vintage cocktail glasses.
Nice to haves
You could comfortably make most cocktails without these tools, but they make a nice addition.
Bar Spoon
Used it to stir drinks or as a unit of measurement (add a bar spoon of x, like in my Manhattan).
Ice Molds
If you like drinking Manhattans and Old fashioneds, you’re going to want big ice cubes. It’s worth it.
Mallet & Lewis Bag
Tiki cocktails, Juleps and Mules require crushed ice. If you don’t have a crushed ice machine, add your ice to a Lewis bag and hammer away with your mallet.
Mesh Strainer
This is useful to strain citrus juices and make certain cocktails like the Southside.
Mixing Glass
If your cocktail contains only spirits, then you must stir to chill in a mixing glass. NGL, I usually skip this step and just do it directly in the glass.
Cocktail Picks
For your garnish.
Muddler
Used a mortar to crush herbs or berries in your mixed drink like in a classic mojito.
Hawthorne Strainer
You’ll need this to strain your drink out of your mixing glass or if you use a Boston shaker (the one thats two cups that fit onto one another).
Rocks Glass
Used to serve drinks on ice, like the oaxaca old fashioned or my manhattan, or “neat” drinks, such as straight whisky.